It sounds crazy to purchase tickets 1 year in advance all the while not even knowing who is playing, but yet, we repeat the process once again.  Having said that, we have an extra set of tickets available – 2 GA tickets for weekend 1 + 1 car pass; must be used together.  Asking $1300, which is a good deal considering most of them are being listed on craigslist at $700-800/ticket.  Last year, the profits made were given to a variety of charities including MUSICARES, Tony Hawk Standup for Skateparks and more.  Happy Coachella!

If you’ve been reading my blogs for years, you would have seen many postings about teen rockers CHERRI BOMB.  I was there with them when they played a show or two at this music place in the valley, when their billboards went up in Hollywood, when they first played the ROXY (and the 2nd time);  I demanded NBC TV go check them out during the Sunset Strip Music Festival when they played with Filter at the ROXY  -  you will see me saying “this is where dreams are made.”

I remember when their first video of  ”spin” only had about 5000 views and so I pumped it through various action sports social networks that we are connected to and the numbers started growing to 10k, 20k, 40k, 60k, 80k, 100k etc. in a very short period of time.  Amazing how that works some times but not always!!  Bottom line is – people want to support the underdog….and Cherri Bomb is quite the underdog.  If you think about at one time 11-13 year old females wanting to to do rock music in a time when rock music quite frankly is dead (according to the charts) yet they persevered drawing upon a range of influences from Foo Fighters to Smashing Pumpkins to Beatles to Queen to Nirvana.  Fast forward a few years and they are still rocking but with a little darker and heavier twist.  Oh, and they’ve already played just about every major music festival (Soundwave, Readings, Leeds, etc.) on the planet as well as opening for the Foo Fighters in Germany and some dates with the Smashing Pumpkins in USA.  They’ve done all this before the age of 15; a dream many musicians even twice their age never get to experience to say the least in this brutal music business.  The best part is seeing that the girls are still able to be kids and have fun!!

So what’s my connection?  Nia and Rena’s mom Ana was an amazing brilliant artist herself that I managed many moons ago when she left NY for LA, after working with Clive Davis and recording with some of the biggest names in the business.  It’s no coincidence to me that her children would be rising stars themselves as Ana is a true genius artist and performer (and probably always will be).  I can clearly hear her influence in helping with the song writing melodies.  Years ago I was asked if I wanted to work with the girls, but at the time my energy was elsewhere and seeing where they are now, I kind of wish I would have… but I know it takes an army behind them to achieve what they have.  They are definitely in good hands with manager Samantha Maloney (Hole, Eagles of Death Metal, Peaches, Motley Crue, etc.), Creative Artist Agency, Hollywood Records, Ana and K-dog (the instiller of hard work and dedication), the other parents, and the rest of the team.  For me, I’m just a fan… I still pay for my tickets and pay for t-shirts just like every other fan.

I was pretty excited for this show at Universal Studios City Walk simply because it’s a good solid stage with amazing lights and a ton of people walking by, right next to the Hard Rock Cafe.  Plus the group had a legion of fans parked near the front of the stage anxiously waiting.   The show started with the lights down and some pre-programmed keyboard/synth sounds to create an atmospheric opposite to what was to come next when the girls rushed out on the stage and got right into it.  I always appreciate bands who come out rocking hard; save the “hello LA” to later.  While the sound system is pretty good at this venue, the mix wasn’t very good and the vocals suffered a bit, as did the rhythm section.  No fault of the girls, it just takes having an engineer know the qualities of each band and fine tuning it.  A major highlight was when drummer Nia was pulled to the front of the stage and played some heavy synth beats which I was really hoping was going to lead into a different style for the group – ala some breakbeat techno stuff.  Next thing I know a person ( I won’t say who it is) comes out in a robe and devilish lamb mask and walks around the stage before heading back to the drumset to rock the skins.  Meanwhile, Nia pulls blood from a bowl and puts it all over her face and body, before then putting it on her little sister Rena.  I just laughed in amusement and thought to myself “They’ll never play here again.” I watched about 20-30 parents in the crowd grab their kids and just get up and walk away and thought “this is hilarious.”  Come on people – it’s rock and roll!!  Alice Cooper – KISS – Marilyn Manson… the list goes on.  The rest of the show went on with blood (not real blood people) dripping in Nia and Rena’s eyes, which proved a bit of a distraction for them to stay in tune but overall, decent show.  After the event, the girls came out and took photos with all their fans and what looked like quite a few new ones.  I could hear parents in the crowd saying “Just go up there and say hello…and ask for a photo.”  The cool thing is – these girls are always down to earth, good kids.  You can learn a lot from artists like Taylor Swift who spend a ton of time with her fans just being oneself – no rock star attitude!!!

It’s hard to judge any band for doing what they do and for 14-16 years old, these girls can rock pretty damn good.  They’ve definitely got a few years ahead of them to truly get it right with tight precision, stronger hooks, creative melodies and really hone in on the artists they want to be.  Nonetheless, they have all the elements of doing things that people in their age group can identify with.  Although, if I was leading them, I would definitely not be pursuing the heavier rock/metal entirely, but add back in the “pop” elements, that I feel would take them to a new level.  The heavy stuff can only take you so far (look at Metallica).  Nonetheless, the girls have achieved over 100,000 likes on FB, have a song in the new “AVENGERS” soundtrack, are touring the Vans Warped Tour this summer, in a Iphone commercial, “teen diaries”,  etc.  I am just thankful they aren’t doing the typical Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato route that they so easily could get trapped into by being under Hollywood Records (owned by DISNEY).  At times I question what the label really does for them, but that’s a whole another blog.  If they do things right (merchandising a variety of product/licensing/publishing) - these girls will be sitting on an empire of $$$  and have some serious staying power with fans who will follow them into high school through college and beyond.  In the meantime, they should just enjoy living in the NOW and let their natural talent shine!!

Setlist: 1. Better this way 2. Drawing a blank 3. shake the ground 4. paper doll 5. Sacrificial lamb 6. Too many faces 7. Raw Real 8. Mirror Mirror 9. Hold on 10. Let it go

Review to come soon.. sorry for delay!

For all you lovely spirits who will be making the trek out to windy deserts of Indio for this years COACHELLA music festival (featuring Radiohead, Dr. Dre/Snoop Dog, Black Keyes), please make sure you stop by the SILENT DISCO to see our Burningman “Playa Surfers” Camp Area 33 Tower, which has been installed for the DJ.  Say hello to Donald who will be keeping things in check.  I remember back in 2008 when we first put the tower up at Burningman – what a great burn!!

Los Angeles rock group Barbarian Overlords release their first major video shot in the high desert behind LA.  If you like Led Zepplin riffs, you are going to love this.  If you like Jack White, you are going to love the powerful vocals of singer Brent Nuffer.

1950 Fender Telecaster

Toured on and autographed by the band

Signed off by Fender officials

$4000 or best

Serious Buyers only – email us

We are excited to showcase the great Sean Cooney who heils from Brooklyn, NY.  I met Sean at the 2011 Taxi Event in Los Angeles so I could learn more about him and his music, which he seems to write and play almost every instrument.  I wasn’t alone in that venture as I heard Sean caught the attention of quite a few people from the music camps of some huge acts in todays pop world (ie. Justin Bieber) to write songs with them although I doubt he will.  This video takes you through a fun day in Brooklyn, which Sean truly loves.  Expect Sean to be the next LMFAO!!

Check out www.seancooney.com 

#popmusic

#gay culture

#brooklyn

#lmfao

After 6 years, we have pulled our paid services opportunity from SONICBIDS and it will now be listed as a token opportunity at $0 cost.  We will be fine tuning the selection process to weed out the good the bad and the ugly.  We want to thank all the thousands of bands we have helped over the past 6 years – we hope our feedback has greatly served you and provided you inspiration to make constructive changes that directly affect your music careers.  For those that don’t use Sonicbids, feel free to mail in your physical CD’s to our Hollywood address or send us an email.  We know this is likely best for the DIY band.

www.barbarianoverlords.com

Barbarian Overlords put on a rocking show at the world famous Whisky a Go GO this past Saturday. The band is growing leaps and bounds with lead singer Brent Nuffer doused in hard working sweat upon conclusion of the show; exactly what I expect when I see a band perform. If you love Led Zepplin, then definitely check them out. Overlords are also playing out on 2/22/12 at the Other Room in NOHO.

Check out Arthur Autumn in the newest issue of Pyxis.
http://pyxismag.com/2012/02/arthur-autumn-leaps-in/

UPDATE – tickets SOLD!!

We’re excited for Coachella again this year – especially when we paid for tickets back in June of last year and still won’t receive our passes until March. Anyhow, we are selling the last 2 of our 3 day passes – one of the best prices you will see out there right now as many tickets are going for $700. Send us an email if interested. HAPPY COACHELLA.

This years lineup include headliners Black Keyes, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog.

Setlist: The Cure: Reflections at the Pantages Theatre, Nov. 22, 2011
Three Imaginary Boys: 10:15 Saturday Night / Accuracy / Grinding Halt / Another Day / Object / Subway Song / Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix cover) / Meathook / So What / Fire in Cairo / It’s Not You / Three Imaginary Boys / Untitled (aka The Weedy Burton)
Seventeen Seconds: A Reflection / Play for Today / Secrets / In Your House / Three / The Final Sound / A Forest / M / At Night / Seventeen Seconds
Faith: The Holy Hour / Primary / Other Voices / All Cats Are Grey / The Funeral Party / Doubt / The Drowning Man / Faith
First encore: World War / I’m Cold / Plastic Passion / Boys Don’t Cry / Killing an Arab / Jumping Someone Else’s Train > Another Journey by Train
Second encore: Descent / Splintered in the Head / Charlotte Sometimes / The Hanging Garden
Third encore: Let’s Go to Bed / The Walk / The Lovecats

While nothing will ever compare to my first time seeing the Cure in the 1989 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan and having seen them 20+ times since then, this past Tuesdays performance will forever be one that I will treasure as a long time fan. While I have to admit that I haven’t listened to these early records in a little while, it was very refreshing to pull them back out. As a result, I found myself having a new found appreciation for them then to see them played live really made me appreciate them even more.

The show at the Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard is normally where off-broadway shows are done so I wasn’t sure how the sound would turn out but I was actually very impressed. I literally felt like the Cure were playing in my garage with a raw sound (using Roland amps, Fender guitars) that was well adjusted for this intimate venue and with a decent light show and fog machines to match – but it was all about the music this night! My seat was in the first row of the mezzanine, which was perfect so I could look over the balcony and straight down into the band without having people stand in front of me. This allowed me to get lots of photos and videos; treasures for any long-time Cure fan.

The first set started with songs from Three Imaginary Boys starting with 10:15 Saturday night, a classic Cure song with just Robert, Jason and Simon. Robert said he wanted to do something different than the prior night, so he didn’t shave, which was quite funny; gotta love Roberts sense of humor. The songs from this set felt a little rushed for some reason but understandable when having to play an entire album. I really enjoy these songs because of the upbeat, post-punk feel that they contain which is obvious very reminiscent of the time period when they were written. On The Weedy Burton, Robert joked about how he hopes he’ll be able to not fuck this song up again. It’s a relatively basic blues progression and indeed, Robert pulled it off nicely. A highlight from this set was seeing Robert play harmonica on the subway song, even though it was only 3 or 4 notes. I don’t know why, but it was just a cool sound and feel.

The 2nd set was songs from Seventeen Seconds and are some of my favorites. Simon’s bass tone and style are just incredible on this record. Roger O’Donnell joined them on stage on keyboards. The energy of the crowd finally came alive around the time A forest was played. I’ve seen this song played in the past with extended versions for a good 1/2 hour. A-C-F-D are the 4 main chords of this song but the aura of this song always lures me in every time I hear it. At the end of the set, Robert say’s, “see you next year…or 5 minutes.”

The 3rd set found Lol Tolhurst joining in for some keys and percussion. I found it really great to see Lol up there, considering he was an original member of the Cure/Easy Cure. The faith record is definitely a mellower record than all of these but it was by far the best set. For me, the coolest part of the Cure is that they are musicians who have played together for so long that they are like a well oiled machine that runs smoothly. The Cure clearly have an intuitive sense of how melodies work together while leaving a ton of open space yet sound like a full orchestra of sounds and colorful notes at the right times within a song. Anyhow, this set had me really moved and delighted by what I was seeing in front of me; “other voices” was my favorite. And who can go wrong with “primary” with its pounding E-A-E-D bass line.

After the first 3 sets, I was super excited to see what oldies Robert and the boys would pull out. Highlight of the 1st encore was “killing an arab” and “jumping someone elses train”. The third set was a great way to end the night with a ton more energy and just seeing Robert having fun being silly and dancing in his goofy way with his old-lady body. It’s so great to see people still loving what they are doing after 30 years of doing it! After the show I picked up some limited edition posters and shirts and walked away with a feeling of being complete again. Something about the Cure has always lifted my spirits and this show made me feel like I was a kid again. Enjoy the videos and photos! Please leave comments and share!!

To see many photos and videos – go to www.facebook.com/koboldt

Check out the Barbarian Overlords at the Roxy on December 3rd in Hollywood! www.barbarianoverlords.com

REVIEW MAG LINK – CLICK HERE

We are super stoked to be seeing the Cure in LA at Pantages Theatre on November 22nd having seen them numerous times since our first show in 1989 for the Prayer Tour.

Featuring THREE IMAGINARY BOYS (1979), SEVENTEEN SECONDS (1980) and FAITH (1981) played in their entirety.

“REFLECTIONS” sees an evolving line up of band members past and present playing the first three Cure albums live in their entirety – from the punchy, offbeat, starkly unadorned songs of Three Imaginary Boys (1979), through the increasingly shadowy and quixotic pieces of Seventeen Seconds (1980), to the singular melancholic grandeur of Faith (1981) – in a truly extraordinary concert experience.

This final chance to experience the “REFLECTIONS” show will happen in Europe at the Royal Albert Hall, London on Tuesday November 15th, and in the USA at the Pantages Theatre, LA on Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd, and at the Beacon Theatre, NYC on Friday 25th, Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th.

SET 1 (approx 40 minutes)
‘THREE IMAGINARY BOYS’ (1979)
The Cure Trio – ROBERT SMITH: Voice & Guitar / SIMON GALLUP: Bass / JASON COOPER: Drums
>approx 15 minute changeover interval

SET 2 (approx 40 minutes)
‘SEVENTEEN SECONDS’ (1980)
The Cure Quartet – ROBERT SMITH: Voice & Guitar / SIMON GALLUP: Bass / JASON COOPER: Drums / ROGER O’DONNELL: Keys
>approx 15 minute changeover interval

SET 3 (approx 40 minutes)
‘FAITH’ (1981)
The Cure Quintet – ROBERT SMITH: Voice & Guitar / SIMON GALLUP: Bass / JASON COOPER: Drums / ROGER O’DONNELL: Keys & Percussion / LAURENCE TOLHURST: Keys & Percussion
>approx 5 minute interval

SET 4 (approx 30 minutes)

‘ENCORES’ of the period…

www.thecure.com

This is an international ISPO contest for innovation that BambooSK8 is a part of right now for 2 weeks only… They need all the votes and comments they can get. Will you help the planet?

GO TO www.facebook.com/ispo.brandnew.awards and “like” it
GO TO “hottest brands” on the left side
Click the arrow to VOTE for your favorite
Search through the list for BAMBOOSK8 – click on it… “like” it and then leave a positive comment.

Want to learn more about the music business with DIY attitude? Click!

Out of Step Entertainment is proud to support the release of Cherri Bomb’s new ep STARK released on Hollywood Records.  These young girls have done more in the past year than most bands their entire careers.

www.cherribombband.com

https://www.facebook.com/cherribombband

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stark-ep/id470587202

I was proud to help out for the 4th straight year by donating goods and $ donation to the Standup for Skateparks charity event in Beverly Hills at billionaire Ron Burkle’s green acres estate.  I know, you are all asking – who the hell is Ron Burkle?  If you ever shopped at Ralph’s food stores, then there’s one connection.  How about owning a piece of the Pittsburgh Penguins or owning 20% of Barnes and Noble; there’s more!  Anyhow, lucky for Tony Hawk that Ron provides his humble abode to let Tony invite 850 guests at a price of $400 donation each to mingle with celebrities (if you are lucky or brave) like actor Mark Wahlberg or mega producer Jon Favreau or UFC champion Chuck Lidell or rockstar Perry Farrel of Janes Addiction, watch some live music by the Black Keys (yet, literally 20 feet in front of you on a tiny little stage), watch some amazing skating on the vert ramp (amazing that they are allowed to bring the massive ramp and tear up Ron’s yard) with Shaun White, Tony Hawk, Mitchie Brusco, Bucky Lasek, as well as bmx freestyle by Matt Hoffman, get a ton of free shit from a variety of vendors (t-mobile, art of board, dub, nixon, birdhouse, pinks, wahoo’s, best buy, etc.), chat with pro skaters like Mike Vallely, Jamie Thomas, Kevin Stab, etc., and a ton more….  The live auctions this year were off the hook with autographed guitars by Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift, Rancid, Janes Addiction and the coolest one that I bid on at $1275 (beating out Ron Burkle) and won = the 1950′s Fender Telecaster toured with and autographed by all members of Green Day.  Other auction items included a tricked out Ford Explorer that went for over $40k, a customized triumph motorcycle by Roland Sands that went for $30k, a ton of autographed pro skateboards (paul rodriguez, nyjay houston, ryan scheckler and shaun white) completely framed by sk8ology, as well as the opportunity to get your own pro skateboard made by Tony Hawk’s team for $250.  Our BambooSK8 skate board autographed by the band CHERRI BOMB on Hollywood Records went for $70 the last bid we saw, but hopefully more.  Needless to say, despite the down economy, things were looking up for charity this year as people reached deep into their pockets.  We can all feel good about helping to get skateparks built in low income, at-risk neighborhoods throughout this great country of ours.  The foundation has helped 405 parks get build already in 49 states; Connecticut is the only one remaining.  http://standupforskateparks.org/

On November 21st, 22nd and 23rd, The Cure will perform their first three albums in their entirety at the Pantages Theatre.

On each night, the band will play four sets, comprised of the following: 1979′s Three Imaginary Boys, 1980′s Seventeen Seconds, 1981′s Faith, and an encore.  Reportedly along for these shows are percussionists/keyboardists Roger O’Donnell and Laurence Tolhurst.

Tickets won’t be available for purchase via Ticketmaster until October 31st at 10 am, so plan accordingly. This is being billed as the “last chance” to see these shows together, so if you want to be there, make sure to get tickets as soon as they go onsale.

The Cure is one of my favorite bands, and a band I have seen many times since the first show in 1989 when I was a child.  Robert Smith and gang are like a fine wine getting better with age.

Check out the new ArthurAutumn record – www.arthurautumn.com – CD will be available on August 16th.

Download 3 free songs from Cherri Bomb right now – www.cherribombband.com

The girls just got done playing some festivals in the UK.

You can never have a bad experience at the Hollywood Bowl with all its enchanting beauty nestled in the Hollywood Hills.  Recently, I attended a few great shows there…

STAR WARS – 6/3/11

Imagine a pink floyd laser light show coupled with a live orchestra playing along to various parts of the Star wars saga, along with C3PO narrating the film.  This $125/ticket show superseded my expectations by a long shot; also because we had box seats.  I still recall seeing the movie as a child and still to this day have hundreds of Star Wars memorabilia back at my parents house.

PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL – 6/12/11

This was my first time and what an awesome experience it was.  The main headliner was blues legend Buddy Guy who was amazing to say the least but things really picked up when he pulled out a 12 year old guitar shredder who could not only sing but play the blues like it was nothing; very inspiring!!  Other highlights were Naturally 7 (an acapello group who uses their voices as instruments) and  Still Black, Still Proud: An African Tribute to James Brown Featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Vusi Mahlasela, Meklit Hadero.  http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945434

MOTLEY CRUE / POISON / NY DOLLS – 6/14/11

Having been a Crue fan since I was 8 years old, it’s always amazing to see them as it takes me back to my youth.  While Vince Neil can’t really hit most of the high notes anymore, he still belts it out with great energy.  Mick Mars, who just won’t die as Nikki Sixx says, was a true master on his guitar with soaring pinch harmonics, whammy bar sweeps and a  hard rocking sound.  Nikki, who writes most of the songs always holds the rhythm locked down.  Tommy Lee – need I say more?  That dude rocks so hard.  A highlight was watching him go upside down playing along with his techno/dj- styled beats to a wild spinning visual.  He even brought a girl out from the audience, strapped her in, and took her for a wild ride upside down on the circular roller coaster drumset.  

Poison, who i’ve been a fan of since 7th grade were equally great to see but a little too heavy on the guitar wanker guitar solos of CC Deville.  Brett Michaels down-to-earth gracefullness fully made up for it though.  Being alive after his illness last year and still touring with his best friends for 25 years made for a special night.  “Every rose has its thorn” was the crowd pleaser by a long shot. 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/concert-review-motley-crue-at-202516

Over memorial day weekend, my fiance and I took off to the mountains behind Irvine for the yearly mini-burningman styled event otherwise known as Lightning in a bottle put on by the Do Lab.  As always we run into members of our Burningman camp “Playa Surfers” which is alway a delight to catch up with old friends and dance the night away.  One of the headlining acts on Saturday was “PRETTY LIGHTS” – check out some free downloads (please donate $) at www.prettylightsmusic.com - There is an awesome PINK FLOYD re-mix that I thoroughly enjoyed.  Mimosa is another great artist.

For those that have been living in a barn, the purple Yoda has been rocking the LA Forum with a goal of 21 night in LA. 2 of which were spent playing the Troubador last week, which was amazing, as it only fits about 500 people total. I had the priviledge of seeing the open show at the Forum, which was a true delight, as is every time I have seen Prince; Empire ball room in Vegas, Rio in Vegas, Staples in LA, House of Blues in Hollywood, etc. All I can say is 5 encores from a true musical genius!!

By Gavin Edwards @ rolling stone
April 15, 2011 10:25 AM ET
“Inglewood is mine!” shouted Prince – and after two hours of thrilling music, no one could doubt him. On opening night of his 21-show run at the Forum just outside Los Angeles, Prince performed an epic 15-minute version of “Purple Rain,” climaxing with purple confetti stars shot from a cannon. He brought celebrities onstage, ranging from Eva Longoria to Javier Bardem. He even duetted with special guest Sheila E. in matching gold lame outfits. So when Prince declared victory and the house lights went up, over half of the crowd headed for the parking lot, sated. The fans who stuck around? After waiting 15 minutes, they got four additional encores: 11 songs that took the show way past midnight.

The current iteration of Prince’s band the New Power Generation includes multiple keyboardists (and identical-twin dancers), but no guitarists. And for about half the show, Prince eschewed the guitar himself. So a song like “Kiss,” originally built around a shimmering guitar lick, was transformed into a funky synth groove – interesting, if not really successful. But when Prince strapped on his six-string, he played heroically, transforming “Little Red Corvette” into a bluesy showcase, hammering his way through a grungy “Peach,” and spinning long, lyrical solos in “Sometimes It Snows in April.”

Prince performed many of his songs in truncated versions – none shorter than “Darling Nikki,” where the band churned out only the opening riff before Prince cut the raunchy tune off, saying, “I’m in rehab!” The concert also included a bevy of covers, including Sylvester’s “Dance (Disco Heat)” and, in a showcase for the backup singers, Bob Dylan’s 1997 “Make You Feel My Love.” Most interesting was a mash-up version of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” where Prince acted as hype-man, exhorting the backup singers before interpolating his own composition, the Time hit “Cool.”

At age 52, Prince is no longer a whirling dervish onstage – his days of splits are done. But he still has an unfailing sense of showmanship: While his band had to exit the stage via a staircase, the undisputed star of the show made use of a hydraulic lift in the middle of the stage. Even as Prince vanished from sight, he could strike a pose. Even better theater came from the three slow jams that ended the main set: “Insatiable,” “Scandalous,” and the heavenly “Adore.” Pretending to resist the band –”there’s going to be some baby-making if we play this!”– Prince sang in glorious falsetto, and then shied away from the microphone. It looked as if Prince, like everyone else in the audience, couldn’t believe the noises coming out of his throat.

For those who paid $25 for a ticket (as 85 percent of the audience did), that meant the three-and-a-half-hour show cost roughly $7 an hour – a little below minimum wage. (Don’t worry about how Prince affords those sparkling shoes and fringed ponchos; the other seats were priced from $205 to $781.) By the end of the marathon, a bargain arena show had become its own intimate after-party; it felt like Prince might invite the remaining audience members over to his house for basketball and pancakes.

Prince and the New Power Generation at the Forum in Inglewood, CA, April 14, 2011:

DMSR
Pop Life
Prince and the Band / Musicology
Extraordinary
Uptown
Raspberry Beret
Cream
Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough / Cool
Let’s Work
U Got the Look
Make You Feel My Love
Purple Rain
Let’s Go Crazy / Delirious / Let’s Go Crazy
1999
The Beautiful Ones
Little Red Corvette
Kiss
When Doves Cry / Nasty Girl / Sign O The Times / Darling Nikki / Single Ladies
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Insatiable
Scandalous
Adore

First encore:
A Love Bizarre (with Sheila E.)
Play That Funky Music
Controversy

Second encore:
The Glamorous Life (with Sheila E.)
Peach

Third encore:
Dance (Disco Heat)
Baby I’m a Star

Fourth encore:
Stratus
Sometimes It Snows in April

Fifth encore:
Laydown
Endorphinmachine
She’s Always in My Hair
Dreamer
Welcome 2 America

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http://uk.sonispherefestivals.com/

Out of Step Entertainment is proud to support Cherri Bomb, who was just recently added to the UK Sonisphere festival with headliners Metallica and the BIG 4.   

The last four acts for BOHEMIA come in the form of CHERRI BOMB, ANBERLIN and TURBOWOLF. Sheffield hardcore heroes WHILE SHE SLEEPS open proceedings on the Saturday, before LA all girl rock troupe CHERRI BOMB show the UK why they are fast being hailed as “Rock’s New Generation”, with the Sunday playing host to US alt-rockers ANBERLIN, and Bristolian electro-noise-rockers TURBOWOLF, who will take the stage after HOWARD MARKS’s Sunday sermon slot.

What a rare treat it was to see Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell playing acoustically at the wonderful Ford Ampitheatre on 5/4/11 in Hollywood.  The night air was brisk with the open sky up above and mountains directly behind.  It is clear that Cornell is one of the great singers of our generation with deep lyrics that penetrate with his smokers grit voice, which opens up an amazing soulful vocal range.  A major highlight for me was during Led Zepplins cover of “thank you”… when he sang those captivating lyrics – the hairs on my arm stood up and tears naturally fell from my eyes; it was absoutely beautiful and memorable.  His wife and child were at the side of the stage with Chris commenting, “My kid is asleep and my wife is talking…”

SET LIST (NOT 100% IN ORDER):

On the A&R front,  veteran A&R Executive Joie Manda joins Warner Bros. in California after leading the Independent Label Group for Warner Music in New York. Tim Byrne moves to SYCO LA from London to be Creative Director and to help launch X-Factor. At Sony’s two main labels, there’s been a bit of activity in A&R with the addition of Ankur Malhotra who joins Epic from Capitol, while Andrew McInnes & Omar Grant both exit the department and Jay Harren exits Columbia and Renee Bell exits Sony Music Nashville. Over in the UK, Simon McCulloch & Alastair Webber both join Island, while Adrian Jolly joins Mercury.

My buddy Johnny and I travelled the 3 hours from LA out to Indio, CA in the hot ass desert for the 1st N. American stop EVER of the Big 4 – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax.  Now, a 2nd show has been added in NY.  So where do I start?  Well, I grew up on metal as a young kid (8 years old) and we had a great music store called “heavy metal unlimited” in Saginaw, Michigan that helped feed my thirst for  cool metal acts; King Diamond, Exodus, Slayer, Celtic Frost,  Ozzy/Black Sabbath, Accept, Quiet Riot, Metallica, Anthrax, SOD, Judas Priest, etc.  I can still recall hearing Metallica’s “master of puppets” for the first time – there’s just something incredibly special about that record that I will never forget; I literally can hear it and it takes me back to that day.  In 7th grade, I had a SOD back patch on my jean jacket and a skeleton hanging in my locker – my principal thought I worshipped the devil and called my parents who laughed at the fact that I was an “A” student.  In 8th grade gym class, we had to do a skit so we did it to an Anthrax metal/rap song; If I could only get that video now.  Around 2001, after buying my first house in California, I was at the Home Depot buying some gardening stuff and I turned around in line and it was Kerry King from Slayer – I was like “wow” – California rules!!!  Needless to say, this show was something I had to see – as I actually had never seen Anthrax, Slayer or Megadeth play live as my musical choice of concerts changed after high school.  Nonetheless, I’m grateful for the experience; especially as we had VIP passes which gave us access right near the stage with over 50,000 fans.  I’m old so I had to wear my ear plugs! aha! 

Anthrax was on fire – jumping all over the stage and rocking out the thrash metal to old classics like “indians”.  Scott Ian is still a machine on guitar!

Megadeth – I wasn’t impressed with how unemotional Dave Mustaine is but nonetheless, their style is very unique and very technical.  Peace sells but whose buying will always be a memorable song.  Symphony of destruction is another.

Slayer – kudos to their drummer Dave Lombardo- how he plays double bass at that speed is beyond me!  Hits like Seasons in the abyss, dead skin mask, etc.  Kerry King is still a big guitar shredder.  Tom Araya is a bad ass.  Jeff Hanneman played only a few songs at the end - apparently something about being ill.

Metallica – it’s obvious when they hit the stage why they are the biggest commercial success in metal music.  Beautiful melodies, rhythmic beats, well crafted lyrics that penetrate, etc.  This was my 3rd time seeing Metallica over the years and every time, they are great.  I was fortunate to go to the MUSICARES charity event held in honor of James Hetfield years ago and got to meet Lars, who was super cool.  I hated his whiney ass during the NAPSTER thing but he will always be one of my favorite drummers to watch. 

Here’s a proper review from SPIN:

After 30 years, it was the first American show to feature all the members of “The Big 4″ — Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax — the bands whose speed-drunk riffs and apocalyptic imagery vaulted “thrash metal” from cult obsession/Tipper Gore irritant to chart-topping, arena-clogging cultural force. The legendary beefs between bands had been squashed, the phrase “heavy metal Woodstock” had been bandied about, it truly felt like one for the history books. But the reality was more like what Slayer frontman Tom Araya told SPIN a few days earlier: “Even though it’s billed as the Big 4, it’s really more of a Metallica show.”

You could sense it in the crowd of 50,000-or-so, who were whipping out a constellation of camera phones to take photos of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly playing on the video monitors before Metallica took the stage. You could feel it in the rapturous, reverent smoosh that took over the Metallica audience after a day of lackluster moshing. Hell, be it the 85 degree heat, the older and doughier age range of the attendees, or the mellow California vibes, the circle pits were small, sporadic and downright friendly until maybe 130 minutes into the afternoon, when Megadeth hurled out “Peace Sells.”

But mostly, you could feel it in Metallica, who weren’t going to get shown up by their three most formidable peers. By the end of their second song, 1984′s catch-and-release “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” guitarist Kirk Hammett had taken an extended, shredtastic outro solo, bassist Robert Trujillo had done his trademark crabwalk, and drummer Lars Ulrich was playing chunks of the song standing up.

And then… fireworks!

Metallica had no time for the nostalgia the event implied, and they did all the things that the 1986 Metallica would never do: allowing a plane fly overhead advertising a Mötley Crüe show, using those goofy stands that hold up your acoustic guitar, calling a song “All Nightmare Long” and then playing it. They were a perfect maelstrom of unashamed arena-grade showmanship (fireworks blasted for all the big reveals in “Enter Sandman”) and human, danger-soaked playing (they included more flubbed notes and crooked tempos than the other three bands). The crowd loved them for both. There’s a reason why they’re the only band of the evening with a 10-times platinum album.

That burden should have come with a dash of humility. Even if insincere and forced, it was certainly expected that their stage banter should have maybe included a few more loving tributes to the other three bands, beyond the “Aw look!” when Anthrax’s Scott Ian hugged Mustaine before members of all the bands jammed mightily on Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” And after that historic, retweetable moment, Metallica still had to get two more of their own songs in, making sure they ultimately get the last word here.

But Metallica show or not: No matter where Slayer goes, a Slayer show follows. Their version of “Raining Blood” was downright terrifying, boasting an Armageddon-ready tension before that main riff kicks in. Just before the moshpit turned into a gaping maw, someone literally said, “We’re getting the hell out of here!”

Slayer brought not only moshpits, but burly dudes who bulldozed handy thru-way lanes to get to moshpits. Slayer had no patience for the feel-good vibe of the fest even though you could spy the ferris wheel in the JumboTron while drummer Dave Lombardo did the aggro-jazz splatter of “Seasons In The Abyss.” When founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman magically appeared to help on the last two songs (he’s been sidelined due to a flesh eating virus) they didn’t even say so much as “hello.”

Anthrax and Megadeth both played tidy hour-long sets that were high on both hits and melancholy. Dave Mustaine had the most nuanced vocal delivery of the day, the open expanses of “Sweating Bullets” and “A Tout Le Monde” providing a great canvas for his cutting snarl. A Snuffleupagus of cascading hair and a double-necked guitar too heavy to whip around, Mustaine still captivated the audience by staring coldly into their very center. But his icy demeanor was clearly warmed by set’s end, the way he so gratefully mouthed “Thank you, thank you.”

Similarly, Anthrax knew they would be caught up in the moment — two of them wore “Big 4″ T-shirts, they waved an American flag with the Big 4 logo — so they unleashed a fan-pleasing, all-hits, no-goofiness (sorry, “I’m The Man” fans) set of pre-1991 churners. They did deliver the brand new “Fight ‘Em Til You Can’t,” but it was played meaner and harder than anything else in their set. A heavy metal superfan to the core, Scott Ian looked like he was going to cry as he left the stage. Try telling him that this was just a Metallica show.

http://www.bamboosk8.com/misc/music.php/

On the A&R front, the big news of course was the hiring of former EMI A&R Executive Nick Gatfield as President of Sony UK. Other UK news includes the exit of Ellie Giles from Fiction while Gary Harris joins Fiction. Here in the US, both G. Roberson, Exec. VP and Jean Nelson, VP, A&R-Urban exit Atlantic. And of course the really big news was the move of Lucian Grainge to the Chairman/CEO post at Universal and the move of Doug Morris from Universal to Sony. We’re also hearing that Island Def Jam Chairman Antonio L.A. Reid is in talks with Universal for a new music venture and possibly stepping down from his post at IDJ (more info at http://bit.ly/dUcJNX ).

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We are very happy to have chosen WORLDVERSUSME for the #1 spot on the Green Washed Ritual II music compilation.  WVM, from Los Angeles was chosen for their incredible artistic vision along with songs that crossed different genres such as rock, techno, industrial, alternative, etc.  With over 180,000 fans across a variety of social media platforms, they have tons of great things happening for them right now.   http://www.reverbnation.com/worldversusme

#2 place went to E-dubble

E-dubble has a smooth rap style, great story-telling and a solid amount of people consistently listening to him daily.  He is represented by Black Paisley Records in Baltimore.   http://www.reverbnation.com/e-dubble#!/edubble

In addition to these great musical acts, we decided to offer 2 additional opportunities to 2 more bands that were very well received from the skateboard community.

#3 – Soul Sanctuary  http://www.reverbnation.com/soulsanctuary

#4 – SheLoom  http://www.reverbnation.com/sheloom

Check out the music page of BambooSK8, world leader in sustainable bamboo skateboards.  www.bamboosk8.com/music

We’ve spent an absorbant amount of time reviewing the music of over 100 artists so far that have sought out our opportunity to be featured on the Green Washed Ritual  II digital music compilation with BambooSK8 – world leaders in action sports / skateboarding.  We feel all artists deserve more than a simple “sorry- not chosen” so we actually spend the extra 15 minutes for each artist to provide them some constructive feedback on what we thought about their music, image, social media, profile, etc.  For every 10 emails back thanking us, there is always 1 cry-baby who can’t handle being rejected.  Scroll to the bottom to see the negative responses. 

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Date: 01/31/2011 9:00 PM

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Date: 02/01/2011 7:34 AM

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Date: 01/24/2011 4:34 PM